


How to Train Your Jonas

by smithereen



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Jonas Brothers
Genre: M/M, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-05-30 23:49:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19414021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smithereen/pseuds/smithereen
Summary: Joe makes friends with a dragon. Nick disapproves.





	How to Train Your Jonas

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on LJ in February 2011.

Nick hated the dragon. Of course Nick hated all dragons, he was a Viking. But usually he tended to hate dragons more for setting the village on fire, killing sheep, killing people. This dragon had never killed any of his friends, as far as he knew. And it wasn't spitting fire, it was rolling around in the grass. It was playing with its own reflection in the lake. It was possibly, maybe chasing butterflies. And Joe was chasing them too. And then they were chasing each other, Joe's mouth wide open with laughter. And Nick _hated_ it.   
  
Joe pounced on its back, and the two of them took off across the valley at a gallop. Joe's hair streamed out behind him, his body curved low over the dragon's neck. Nick watched them run back toward him, the dragon so much bigger than Joe, its claws digging into the earth with every long stride. Nick's hand clenched around the handle of his axe. Joe might have fooled himself into thinking it was a pet, but there was no such thing as a tame dragon. Nick watched it bear down on him, stood his ground, his heart thudding hard, his whole body tensed to strike. He wanted to see its teeth, to feel its fire against his shield. He wanted it to prove him right, to give him a reason to raise his axe.   
  
The dragon didn't charge him. It stopped short, rumbling like a creaky bellows, its hot breath smelling like sulfur. Nick looked up at Joe clinging to its neck. Joe's cheeks were flushed red, and his eyes were sparkling. He was smiling as he slid down to the ground. The dragon flopped onto its side, and Joe tumbled to the ground beside it, scratching at the dark scales on its belly.   
  
Nick thought he would have hated the dragon less if it set their house on fire.   
  
*   
  
"I'm pretty sure I could ride him," Joe said, staring up at the clouds skidding across the gray sky. "Up there." It was the dying end of summer, the shadows already growing longer, the green leaves shaking in the wind like they knew what was coming. The grass was still warm though, ticking at the back of Nick's neck. Joe nudged at Nick with his elbow until Nick turned his head to look. Joe's hand swooped through the air. His voice had a wistful tinge to it. "I'm pretty sure I could do it." He stretched his arms out above his head like he could already feel the wind on his face, like he couldn't wait to be gone. It made Nick want to reach out, lock his hand around Joe's arm.  
  
"I'm pretty sure you can't," Nick said sullenly.  
  
Joe laughed and rolled over so he was sprawled on top of Nick, all pointy elbows and hot skin. He put Nick in a half-hearted headlock. Nick pulled his lips tight into his mouth and bit down, tried to keep himself from grinning as he jabbed at Joe's ribs with his fist. "You're so negative," Joe said. He jerked his arm tighter around Nick's neck, shaking him a little while Nick tried not that hard to pull away. "If he'll carry me on the ground, why not in the sky?" Joe rolled off Nick, throwing one last shove at his head, his legs untangling from Nick's, his weight not pinning Nick down anymore. He ran a hand over the dragon's head, scratched at the scales under his chin. "You'd let me, right?" The dragon wuffled, its dark snout nuzzling into Joe's hand.  
  
Nick sat up, scrubbing at the back of his neck where it felt ticklish from the grass. "It can't even fly." He flinched as the dragon's long tail flicked up into Nick's face, slapped hard against his cheek. He gritted his teeth and grabbed hold of the lashing tail, gave it a spiteful yank. "Isn't that the whole reason why we have to coddle it?" The dragon flashed its teeth, a low hiss in the back of its throat.   
  
" _Nick_ ," Joe said. "Be _nice_."  
  
"That thing started it." Nick let go of the dragon's tail grudgingly. The long muscle lashed through the grass with an angry little flick, and Nick touched the knife on his belt. But then the dragon curled up and put its head in Joe's lap. It stared at Nick with its big eyes. Nick was pretty sure it was gloating. Joe rubbed the scales on the back of its neck. "His wings are okay. It's just his tail," Joe said, excitement creeping back into this voice. "I think I can fix it."  
  
"Why would you want to?" Nick tore up a handful of grass, tossed it futilely into the wind. He looked over at Joe, met his eyes. "You know you can't keep it, right? It's not a horse. It's not a dog. It's a dragon, Joe."  
  
"I didn't say I was going to keep him."  
  
"So what then," Nick said. "You'll be done with it once you fix his tail? Will you promise me that?"  
  
"It's not-" Joe said. "It's not that simple. His tail is like a rudder. Someone has to steer it."  
  
Nick stared. "So it won't be able to fly without someone riding it?" He raised his eyebrows, letting the obvious fill the silence. Letting Joe feel the weight of his disbelief.  
  
"I could at least fly him out of the valley," Joe muttered. "So he wouldn't be trapped here."  
  
Nick shook his head, his jaw clenching. "And then?"  
  
Joe shrugged.   
  
*  
  
They made their way back down the mountain in silence. It was rare that Joe was ever silent. Usually he rambled excitedly about his latest invention, or his new theories on crop planting, or relived Nick's exploits in the training ring with loud sound effects and an invisible mace twirling in his hands. Now the sound of their booted feet kicking loose rocks and leaves as they clambered over logs and through overgrown bushes seemed too loud, the silence heavier with every step. Nick darted glances at Joe, trying to catch his eye. Joe kept his head down, staring at his feet, his gaze so unmoving it couldn't be accidental. He sped up, pulled ahead of Nick so Nick was staring at the back of his thick furred vest, at his unruly mop of dark hair.   
  
"Hey," Nick said, when he couldn't stand the silence. "I'm sorry. I just- I'm just being practical."  
  
Joe's jaw ticked. "I don't know why you have to be so rude to Toothless."  
  
"I don't know why _you're_ obsessed with taking care of a wild animal that could kill us all." He sounded angrier than he meant to, sounded like he was picking a fight, but he didn't know how to make himself _stop_.  
  
"He wouldn't," Joe said defensively. "He could have killed me a million times."  
  
"How do you know he won't turn on you when he doesn't need you anymore?"   
  
"He's my _friend_."   
  
"You have enough friends," Nick said, even though most of the village thought Joe was, at best, a little off. Even though mostly there was just Nick. Since when was Nick not enough? "Why do you need that _thing._ "   
  
"He's not a _thing_ , Nick." Joe swatted at a tree branch, kicked a stone into the bushes.   
  
"It's not a person either," Nick said. "It's dangerous, and if our father found out-"  
  
"Why don't you tell him then," Joe said bitterly. "If you're so sure Toothless is going to turn on me."  
  
"Maybe I should," Nick snapped back.   
  
"Go ahead!" Joe muttered. He broke into a run as the trees thinned out at the edge of the village, and Nick almost ran after him, almost grabbed him by the back of his vest and shook him. Almost wanted to push him down in the dirt and sit on him and bite him and not let him up until he stopped being so- So _stupid_.  
  
"Maybe I will!" Nick yelled at his back. Maybe he would. That would put an end to it at least. If their father knew about the dragon it would be dead by sunrise. Even if it was a Night Fury, it couldn't drive off a full raiding party, not if it couldn't fly. And once it was gone, things could go back to normal finally. Back to just him and Joe.  
  
When he pushed open the door to their house, Joe was hunched miserably at the table. Their father loomed broad-shouldered over him, already mid-lecture. "There you are," their father said. "Would you care to explain why Gobber says neither of you showed up for training today? I expect as much from him," he said dismissively glancing at Joe, "but you disappoint me, Nicholas."  
  
Nick straightened under their father's glare. Joe looked at him wide-eyed, pleading. Nick thought about having Joe to himself again, and he thought about the dragon dead, and he thought Joe might never forgive him. He sat down on the bench next to Joe, their shoulders pressed tight together.   
  
"Joe wanted me to help him with his spear," Nick said. "I thought it would be better if we went hunting something smaller before we tried it in the ring." Joe pressed his leg against Nick's under the table, a silent thank you.   
  
Their father looked back and forth between them for a long moment, his big hands braced on the table. "Odin knows he needs the practice," he said finally. Joe shrugged it off, picking at the rough wood of the table with his fingernail, keeping his head down. His knee was jiggling nervously under the table. Nick leaned into him a little harder, nudging at him with his shoulder. "Just see you don't forget the final is right around the corner."  
  
"We'll be ready," Nick said. He grinned, his hand falling to the knife on his belt. "Did Gobbler tell you I took down a Nadder last week?"  
  
"Good man," their father said distractedly as he turned to pull his cloak from the hook by the door. Nick tried not to feel the disappointment twist in his gut. "I'm late for the council meeting." He paused at the door, looking back at them with the familiar distance in his eyes that made Nick feel sometimes like he couldn't see them. Like he hadn't really looked at either of them since their mother died.   
  
Joe bore the brunt of it. He'd never been much good with a sword, and the sword was the only measure their father understood. What Joe was good at, jokes and metalworking and odd mechanical devices no one quite understood, were not the type of thing their father valued. It just made Nick try harder in the ring, like if he could kill enough of them, like if he could just be the best, maybe it would be enough. Maybe if Nick was perfect, it wouldn't matter so much that Joe… Wasn't. Maybe if Nick was chosen for the final test next week, maybe then his father would really see him.   
  
*  
  
The council's meetings always ran late, especially these days when the dragon attacks came more often, and winter was just around the corner. The men would be shouting at each other until the moon was on its way down. Nick lay next to Joe, sharing the furs piled up near the fire, the heat of his brother's body familiar under the blankets. Joe had his back to Nick, his head bent forward, his dark hair curling at the nape of his neck. There was an unfamiliar tension in his spine, an uncomfortable, careful distance between their bodies. Nick stroked his fingers over the bumps of Joe's spine where his neck curved down. Joe turned onto his back, looked over at Nick out of the corner of his eye. Nick pressed the flat of his palm to Joe's chest, dug his fingers in. He put his head down on Joe's shoulder, his eyes closing.  
  
"Thanks," Joe whispered. "For covering."  
  
Nick's fingers tangled in the laces dangling loosely from the neck of Joe's sleep shirt. He rubbed his cheek against the rough material. "It doesn't mean I changed my mind."  
  
Joe carded his fingers through Nick's hair, a slow drag up from the nape of Nick's neck. He scratched a little at Nick's scalp with blunt fingertips. "I know," he said. He rubbed at Nick's back, his hands strong from hours at the forge, gentle as they stroked down Nick's spine. Nick worried his lower lip, tugged Joe's shirt laces until they unraveled. He pressed his fingers to the slant of Joe's collarbone, tried not to say the things he was thinking, tried to cling to the quiet and Joe's skin under his fingers.   
  
"Maybe it's got you bewitched," Nick blurted. He felt Joe tense, felt it on his fingers, felt the tentative peace shatter and still couldn't stop himself. "It _is_ a Night Fury," Nick said. "Who knows what they can do?"   
  
"I'm not bewitched," Joe scoffed. He shrugged Nick's hand off his chest with an impatient jerk. He kicked restlessly at the furs piled up around their feet. "Why would you even suggest that?"  
  
Nick flopped over onto his back. "You're not the same," Nick said stubbornly. He crossed his arms awkwardly over his chest. "You could be under its thrall."  
  
Joe shifted over onto his side, propped his head on his bent elbow. Nick glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes, felt the weight of his stare. "I'm exactly the same."  
  
"You never used to go off without telling me where." Nick tried to keep his voice flat, like he was just stating the facts. "You never used to lie to me."   
  
Joe touched Nick's cheek tentatively. Nick lay still, kept his eyes on the ceiling. Joe tilted his head, touched his forehead to the side of Nick's head. "I was going to tell you. Eventually."   
  
"It used to be me and you." Nick turned his head away from the fire, away from Joe, blushing a little, embarrassed by the way it came out cracked and wavery.  
  
"It still is." Joe shaped his fingers to Nick's jaw, turned his head. When Joe kissed him, the friendly press of their lips together was as familiar as a hand shake, as the heat of his body under the furs. But the way Nick leaned into it this time, chasing after the hint of wet heat between Joe's lips as they parted in surprise, that was different.   
  
Nick made a raw little sound in the back of his throat, his whole body pushing forward into Joe, his mouth pressing, pressing so hard it hurt a little, his teeth clinking awkwardly into Joe's, his hands pulling at Joe's shirt. Joe rolled back under Nick's weight, and Nick settled on his chest, settled between his open thighs, pinning him down with his whole body, sucking hungrily at his lower lip. Nick felt something tight and anxious inside him slip loose when Joe went pliant underneath him, when Joe's mouth opened for him with a whimper, when he got his tongue inside where Joe was hot and soft. Joe sucked on his tongue, a hard little pull that made Nick's dick swell, stiff and insistent.  
  
Joe's hips rolled, his hard dick grinding up into Nick's. Nick gasped, his mouth sliding sloppily against Joe's, his skin too hot under the furs. He rocked against Joe, his dick shoving in needy jerks. Joe looked up at him, his eyes dark, dazed, his mouth slack. Nick leaned in to catch his bottom lip, tug at it with his lips, his teeth. Joe whined, his back arching under Nick's weight, his hands clenching at Nick's back underneath his shirt. He twisted a little, his body tense, his hips pressing hard up into Nick, locking up as he came. He sagged back down into the furs, breathing hard. Nick moved restlessly, his dick still pushing against Joe, his hands stroking the hair back from Joe's sweaty face. Joe shoved a hand down in between them, worked his fingers inside Nick's pants. He'd barely gotten his palm curved around the slick stiffness of Nick's dick, given it a couple hard tugs, when Nick buried his face in the curve of Joe's neck and came. He humped into the circle of Joe's hand until he'd worked out the last spurt of come, until it started to hurt.   
  
For a long moment he slumped heavily on top of Joe with his eyes screwed shut, getting his breath back. Stalling, as an uneasy fear crept into the spaces left behind by fading urgency. Joe's hand rested lightly in the small of his back. Finally Nick shoved off of Joe, landed heavily next to him in the furs. He hesitated in the silence until Joe's hand flopped over onto his chest. He tapped at Nick with the backs of his fingers. Nick forced himself to look over. Joe smiled at him, tired and sweet and soft.   
  
"You and me," he whispered.   
  
*  
  
When Nick woke up, Joe's nose was smushed against the back of his neck, the heavy gusts of his breath ruffling Nick's hair. Joe yawned, muffled in Nick's skin. Nick shifted around to face him, snuggled into the warm circle of his arms. They gusted clouds of breath at each other in the chill morning, panting out faint whiffs of steam like the weakest dragon smoke. Joe traced the smooth curve of Nick's jaw, connected the dark marks sprinkled across his cheek. Nick ran his thumb across the stubble on Joe's chin, new this year, right on the verge of becoming a man's beard. Joe stretched his neck, peered over to make sure their father was lying still on the other side of the room. He yanked the covers up over their heads and grinned at Nick in the close hot dark, his teeth flashing. He pressed a quick kiss to Nick's mouth, and another, their lips catching for a long moment. Then he rolled to his feet, dragging one of the furs with him. He wrapped it around his shoulders like a cape while he stoked the fire quietly, always quietly or risk waking their father.   
  
When he slid Nick's porridge across the table, he'd used the last of the summer raspberries to make the shape of a fish. It was a habit of their mother's that he'd kept up after she died until Nick had insisted he was too old for kid's stuff. Nick smiled down at his bowl, hiding his blush. Joe gave Nick's head a hard push as he crossed to the meal fire to check on the fish soaking for dinner; his fingers lingered in Nick's hair.   
  
*  
  
In the ring, Nick felt invincible. As the final test approached, training had turned to competition and more than one type of dragon to face at once. Joe had been eliminated from the day's challenge course early on. He'd never been much good in training, but he'd only gotten worse lately, like he was barely even trying. The rest soon followed until it was just Nick and Astrid. Nick ducked behind one of the barriers and crept silently forward.   
  
"On your left!" he heard Joe call. He raised his shield just in time, felt the heat of fire on his arm. He rolled, his hammer ready in his hand as he rose to one knee. He threw it hard, and the Gronckle thudded heavily to the ground. Nick glanced up to see Joe peering down from above the ring with the rest of the eliminated recruits. Joe grinned, giving him a thumbs up.  
  
"That's cheating," Snoutlout complained.  
  
"It's called teamwork," Joe said.  
  
Nick laughed and ducked down next to Astrid behind the next barrier. They both looked up at the clatter of claws scrambling across the top of the barrier behind them. Nick tightened his grip on his axe, and glanced over at her. "You take right, I take left?" he said. She cocked her head, one eyebrow raised challengingly. She gave him a hard nod, and they split up, running.  
  
*  
  
Joe bounced along behind Nick, grabbing him by the shoulders and giving him a little shake, excitedly chattering about the way Nick and Astrid had taken down that last Zippleback. It was like old times, like before the dragon. He hadn't run off right after training, hadn't made some lame excuse and disappeared into the forest for hours. He hadn't run off once all day. He was right here, throwing an arm over Nick's neck, forcing his head down.  
  
"I'm pretty sure Astrid has a crush on you," he said.  
  
Nick felt the tips of his ears go hot. "I'm pretty sure she would crush me with a hammer if she had the chance."  
  
"No, she thinks you're dreamy," Joe sing-songed into Nick's ear. He pitched his voice high, "You're so dreamy, Nick Jonas." He nudged his nose into Nick's cheek, nuzzling.   
  
Nick snorted, shoving Joe off him. He could tell he was blushing, his whole face red, a hot twist tightening in his gut.  
  
"Come on." Joe grabbed his hand and tugged, pulling him into a run. "I'm making your favorite for dinner." Nick laced his fingers more tightly through Joe's, catching up, holding on. Happier than he'd been in weeks.  
  
*  
  
Nick woke up a few hours before dawn, and the furs next to him were empty. He stared blankly at the empty space where Joe should have been. His jaw clenched as he realized where Joe must have gone. He was fuming by the time he reached the valley. His hands were scraped from the fall he'd taken when he'd tripped over a tree root in the dark. He was shivering in the chill. And he'd thought they were _done with this_.   
  
The moon was bright tonight, throwing silver shadows on the water, on the rocks. He couldn't see Joe or the dragon anywhere. A shadow flickered overhead. Nick looked up, startled, just in time to see the dark shape of wings pass in front of the moon. His hand went to his axe, but the night had been quiet and dragons didn't attack in ones and twos. It was always a flood, a tide of fire and teeth. The valley was empty, and there was one dragon in the sky. He huddled down, blowing on his cupped hands to warm them. He scanned the sky for movement, squinting, catching an every now and then glimpse of swooping black against the stars. He settled in to wait.   
  
It was nearly dawn by the time they returned. The sky had lightened to gray, right on the verge of exploding into sunrise. The dragon's wings stirred the fog as it circled the valley once before plunging down. "Nick!" Joe called as they landed on Nick's side of the lake. He sounded surprised, but not guilty like Nick had thought maybe he would. It made Nick madder somehow, that he didn't feel guilty for sneaking out. Sneaking out was basically the same as lying. He could have at least felt bad about it. "Nick," Joe called again, still sitting on the dragon's back. "You have to see it!" He offered a hand up. "It's…" He trailed off, his whole face lit with wonder. "You just have to see it."  
  
Nick tried to hang onto his anger, but Joe was looking at him like that, so speechless, so _amazed_. It made desperation start to itch at Nick's skin, made Joe feel farther away from him than ever. Whatever Joe had seen, Nick had to see it too. But- Nick looked at the dragon suspiciously. Trusting his life to a _dragon_ … It flashed its teeth at him and growled, hunching down. A dragon that didn't like him. Right. That was going to happen. Joe whacked it on the back of the head hard enough to get its attention. It stopped growling abruptly, blinking in surprise.  
  
"Quit it," Joe said. "I want him to see what it's like up there."  
  
He smiled at Nick and wiggled his fingers. Nick took his hand.  
  
*  
  
Nick could feel it, every beat of the dragon's huge wings rippling across its back, flexing against Nick's legs where he was holding tight to the dragon's sides. His arms tightened around Joe's waist, his eyes squeezing shut as they dove down, straight down toward the ocean before the dragon swooped, skimming just above the breaking waves. Cold spray misted against Nick's face, and then they were climbing again. Joe craned his neck to look behind him, a wild grin on his face, his hair a tangled cloud. Nick gasped as they wheeled past the cliffs, close enough to touch the rocks. The sunrise stretched out its fingers in oranges and pinks, and Nick looked down on the sun, on the water glittering gold below them. He threw up a hand, felt the drag of the wind on his fingertips. He stretched his arm out into the thick clouds painted bright orange with the rising sun. He laughed. Joe looked back again, the sun behind him, setting him alight.   
  
Everything looked different from this high up, small and far away and not real. It felt like this was all there was, just the endless sky and cold wind making his eyes tear and Joe's back warm against his chest. And the dragon.   
  
Joe was a flurry of movement, pulling on the complicated leather straps that ran up to the dragon's mouth, back to the dragon's tail. Joe occasionally called out, with a direction or a joyous whoop as they circled, spiraling through the sky. The dragon's ears flicked, responsive. The two of them leaned together, moved together, moved like one beast. Nick was just a passenger.   
  
"Amazing, right?" Joe said over his shoulder.  
  
"It's all right," Nick said, nonchalant. Joe laughed and elbowed him in the gut. "It's pretty amazing," Nick admitted. He held tighter to Joe's waist, pressed his cheek to the back of the Joe's neck and watched the far away world pass underneath them.  
  
*  
  
Joe was practically dancing as they walked back to the village, jumping up to catch at low hanging leaves and talking a mile a minute. About how the artificial tail he'd designed worked, and about how they'd flown close enough to the water to snatch fish from the waves, and about how fast they could go, how far.   
  
"We could go anywhere," he said. "We could see things no one in Burk has ever seen. Farther than any boat." He ran ahead a little ways, swooping between the trees with his arms outstretched at his sides. Nick felt his smile fade, a hard little lump sitting in his throat.  
  
"Would you really just leave?" he said. "Father and Gobber and the forge and Astrid and…" Me. "All of it?" He frowned down at his feet. "Are you in such a hurry to go?"  
  
"What's so great about this place that you wouldn't want to leave it?" Joe said. He glanced back, slowing down, letting Nick catch up. He looked over at Nick with his head ducked down. "Don't you want to know what's out there? Don't you wish you could just-" He looked up at the sky, stretched an arm up above his head. "Never come down?"  
  
Nick's feet felt heavy in his boots, like he'd never be able to lift them that far off the ground.   
  
*  
  
Two days later their father's hand was on Nick's shoulder as he told him that he'd been chosen for the trial. He smiled, a little warmth reaching his eyes. Nick felt it like a fire kindling in his chest.   
  
*  
  
"You're not really going to kill it, are you?" Joe whispered. They had the furs pulled up over their heads. Joe's fingers stroked through Nick's hair, plaiting little braids into his curls.  
  
"Of course," Nick said easily.   
  
"But-" Joe hesitated. "You've seen how it is with Toothless. It's not- They're not what we thought."  
  
Nick watched Joe's eyes glitter in the dark. "One good dragon doesn't make them all good," he said. "And besides. If I don't do it, Astrid will."  
  
"There has to be a way we can just stop it," Joe said. "Stop all of it. Maybe if I could show them- If I showed them what Toothless and I can do…"   
  
"They'll have you both stuck full of arrows before you get out the first word." Nick touched his own hair cautiously where the little braids stuck out in all directions. He wrinkled his nose, and started to break the braids apart.   
  
"But if they could just see-"  
  
"You can't just fly up, and expect the sight of you on its back to be enough to make them all forget the people we've lost, the thin winters we've had when they killed our sheep, or the houses we've had to rebuild, the people we've buried."   
  
"I can't just stand by and let more of them get killed."   
  
"If you get _yourself_ killed, you won't be doing anyone any good." Nick watched Joe shrug, uneasy. He cupped Joe's face in his hand, grabbed onto a handful of his shirt. "Promise you won't do anything stupid." He met Joe's eyes from close up. "Promise me you won't bring Toothless here."  
  
Joe touched Nick's mouth with his fingers, tilted his head so their foreheads thunked together. "I won't bring Toothless here."   
  
"You promise?" Nick insisted.  
  
"I promise," Joe whispered. He smiled and pressed his lips to Nick's softly, a sweet little touch while his hand snaked down to cup Nick's dick through his pants.  
  
*  
  
The alarm bells were ringing. Nick jerked awake, his hand flying out to Joe's side of the bed. Empty. He scrambled out of bed, jamming his helmet onto his head, strapping his axe to his back, his sword to his side. He grabbed his shield and dashed out into the street. He hesitated, his eyes scanning the dark sky for shapes, for the telltale blasts of flame that lit the night, that would reveal how many there were. A single dragon swooped almost directly over his head, flying low. Nick ducked, looking for more, seeing maybe a distant movement against the stars and then nothing. He headed toward the sound of shouting, wondering why the watch towers were unmanned, wondering why there were only a few others running with him toward the town center. Toward the training ring, he realized, as he saw the crowd up ahead, circled around something. Someone. He pushed his way through the crowd, dread sitting cold in his stomach. He stumbled a little when he forced his way through the tightly packed shoulders, stepped finally into the small cleared area where Joe was kneeling with his hands bound behind his back. Hamish and Olaf loomed over him, holding the angry crowd back.  
  
Nick's axe was in his hands before he realized what he was doing. "What is this?" he shouted. "Let him go!"   
  
Joe looked up at him, his shaggy hair hanging down into his eyes. He smiled, a tight little grin that didn't hide the fact that he was terrified. Someone spat, wetting Joe's cheek with spittle. Joe flinched, and Nick took a threatening step forward, stopping when Joe met his eyes and shook his head once. No.   
  
The angry voices were an incomprehensible roar surrounding them, and the only part of it Nick could make out was the word "traitor."   
  
*  
  
They locked Joe in one of the empty dragon cells, fitting they said, since he'd sided with them. Nick pushed frantically through the crowd, looking for his father. He was the head of the council. If there was anyone they'd listen to it was him. Nick found him speaking in low voices with some of the men.   
  
"Father!" Nick said. "You have to do something."  
  
"He'll have a trial like anyone else." His father took him by the shoulder, guided him away from the others. "He'll have his say."  
  
Nick jerked away from his hand, wheeled on him, appalled. "They'll kill him!" he said. "Didn't you see that mob? They don’t want a fair trial, they want blood."  
  
His father's eyes blazed, his voice going deep. "Does the law not apply to him because he's my son?"  
  
"No, but- But- He's not a traitor," Nick stammered. "Can't you explain to them? If he let them out it must have been an accident. Whatever happened, I'm sure he didn't mean it. Can't you just do _something?_ Can't you just- Try?"  
  
"Nick," he said quietly. "There are witnesses." Nick's heart sank. If there'd been no proof there might have been a chance, but if someone had seen... "There's only one key to those cells. The only way he could have opened those locks was to steal it. To plan it." He watched his father's broad shoulders stoop, his head bowing. "He planned it."  
  
"Even if he did-" Nick insisted. "He didn't hurt anyone. He's not a traitor. He just- He just didn't want anyone else killed. He's just-" Nick shook his head helplessly. "He's soft-hearted that's all."  
  
"What would you have me do?" his father said, the slightest tremor in his deep voice.   
  
"Something!" Nick said. He pushed at his father with both hands, the man taking the blow like it was nothing. "Anything!"  
  
"He made his choice." His voice was like an ax falling, and when Nick met his eyes they were hard as stone, as far away as the moon. Nick looked away, tried to swallow past the way his throat went tight as something small and bright and hopeful in him died. There was no help here. There never had been.  
  
*  
  
Toothless roared, his breath huffing hot, a flicker of angry flame at the back of his throat. He galloped to the limit of the valley, launched himself into the air where his wings flapped, keeping him afloat for a moment before he twisted in the air, fell heavily to the ground. He dragged himself back onto his feet and clawed uselessly at the rocks that pinned him in.   
  
"You need me," Nick said.   
  
The dragon's head whipped round to glare at Nick, teeth bared. He growled.  
  
"I don't like it either. But you can't fly without me. And I can't get him out of there alone. He needs us," Nick said. "Both of us."  
  
The dragon faced him, its nostrils flared, its eyes narrowed. Nick stared back at it, into its tapered snout and its glinting teeth. He felt the heat of its breath, waited to feel its teeth at his throat. And then it sank slowly, reluctantly, down against the ground, lowering the saddle on its back so that Nick could easily swing up.   
  
Nick stared at the complicated system of leather straps and buckles. Why hadn't he paid more attention to what Joe had been doing? He pulled tentatively on one of the straps, and pushed down on the metal stirrup, watching as the artificial tail unfurled. Toothless turned his head, looking back at Nick doubtfully. Nick frowned. "I totally know what I'm doing," he said. He jerked on the reins sharply, and kicked at Toothless' side with the back of his heel. A horse would have leapt forward, but Toothless stood like a rock. He shot a glare over his shoulder.  
  
"Sorry," Nick said sheepishly. "Um. Can we go now?"  
  
He could feel the dragon shifting under him, its wings spreading, its haunches bunching to spring. And then they were flying.   
  
*  
  
A Night Fury never missed. The ultraviolet blast of fire crushed the cell doors, left them crumpled and smoking. The boom echoed through the village, and Nick knew the guards would be on them any second. Joe emerged from the smoke, running, his arm bent over his nose. Nick offered him a hand up. Toothless was already taking flight, his wide wings flapping as Joe slid onto the saddle in front of Nick.   
  
"What took you so long?" Joe said.   
  
Nick rolled his eyes fondly, his arm tight around Joe's waist in front of him. He could hear the alarms going off again. The guards rushed out into the streets, getting smaller and smaller beneath them. Arrows hissed past them, and Nick ducked low, bent over Joe, making them both small against the dragon's back. Toothless wheeled, picking up speed as he rounded the outside of the village and headed toward open sky.   
  
The arrow felt like being hit with a hammer. Nick's body jerked forward, the pain so sudden he didn't feel anything but the blunt impact for a shocked moment, and then it burned like fire eating through him. He gasped for breath and pressed the reins into Joe's hands. He was sagging into Joe's back, couldn't seem to get a good grip on him anymore, couldn't seem to get his fists to close.  
  
"Nick?" Joe said uncertainly. He turned to look, and his eyes went wide, swallowing up his face. "Nick," he screamed.   
  
"Don't let me fall," Nick said weakly, his hands scrabbling at Joe's vest, his belt. Joe's hand closed over his wrist, strong and tight. He slumped over Joe's shoulder, and everything went black.  
  
*  
  
When Nick woke up he was staring into the dragon's big eyes. He jerked, banging his head on stone. He winced as the pain bloomed, joined the deep burn in his shoulder. The dragon's nostrils flared delicately, his breath stirring Nick's hair, hot. He blinked, his eyes very green. Nick reached out and touched his snout gently, rubbed at the glossy smooth scales between his eyes. The dragon's eyelids drooped happily, and Toothless lowered his dark scaled head to wuffle at Nick's neck, tickling. Nick chuckled weakly, resting his hand on the top of the dragon's head, scratching absently behind one of his ears. Toothless rumbled contentedly and flopped down next to Nick, curled himself up tight with his head resting on Nick's thigh. His tail flicked lazily against the ground. The heat of his body filled the small cave with warmth.   
  
Joe's hand was light and careful on Nick's belly. Nick looked over at him, lying curled up on Nick's good side. He smiled at Nick, a little strained in the corners of his mouth. Nick tentatively touched the makeshift bandage that covered his collarbone, wrapped around his shoulder.   
  
"The arrow came out clean," Joe said. He pressed himself tighter to Nick's side, his arm winding around Nick's waist, his chin propped on Nick's shoulder.  
  
"Are you okay?" Nick said.   
  
Joe nodded. He was quiet for a moment before whispering, "I'm really sorry." His fingers worked anxiously over Nick's ribs, pressing into the hollows between them. "I shouldn't have tried to let them out. Now everything is…" He trailed off. He looked at Nick, stricken. "I know you didn't want to leave the village… We don't know anyone saw you. It might not be too late for you to go back."  
  
Nick shook his head. "Even if I could," he said. He ran his fingers through the hair on the top of Joe's head. "There's nothing left for me there." When Joe looked up at him, Nick coaxed his mouth open for the hard press of his lips, the slow slide of his tongue.   
  
"Me and you?" Joe said breathlessly into his mouth.  
  
Nick bobbed his head in the dragon's direction, a little smile curling his lips. "And him."   
  
end


End file.
